AIED seeks INEC chairman resignation over Zakari’s appointment

FREEPRESS – Advocacy for Integrity and Economic Development (AIED) has called on the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, to tender his resignation letter over the appointment of Amina Zakari as chairman of INEC Committee on Collation Centre.

Zakari is alleged to be a niece to Nigeria president Muhammadu Buhari, who is seeking re-election in the 2019 general election.

AIED, however, said it was unjust of Yakubu to bestow an election responsibility where Zakari’s uncle, Buhari, is a contender.

“What we have witnessed today in the appointment of Amina Zakari by Mahmood Yakubu is the final straw in what has been a partisan-laden commission,” AIED spokesman Seun John said in a statement.

“The neutrality and unbiased standing of INEC has been eroded with the appointment of a blood relative of a major contender into a pivotal role for the presidential election.”

“It is with these evidence that we strongly believe that an INEC under the leadership of Mahmood Yakubu can not conduct a free, fair and transparent election and thereby demand that he tenders his resignation letter. Doing otherwise will only interpret to a presidential election determined before it commences,” John said.

John, however, said Zakari’s appointment means “INEC as we know it no longer exists, instead it has become another arm of the Presidency and the ruling party with the Chairman of the commission taking orders from the office of the Chief of Staff.”

He described Zakari’s appointment as “one of the many steps toward rechristening the commission into a ‘Buhari Electoral Commission’”

John stated that the Osun State governorship election won by Gboyega Oyetola was an example of the ‘electoral fraud’ INEC plans to commit in favour of Buhari re-election in 2019.

“If Yakubu decides to be unpatriotic and delay his resignation, it is only manly of him to then issue a certificate of return to President Buhari and forgo the plan of wasting huge resources and precious time in conducting an election,” John said.

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